


Bound

by football83



Category: Football RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-17 19:36:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14837900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/football83/pseuds/football83
Summary: AU Where :Vida & José did not marryVida & Rui are just friendsVida & Luis did initially not get past that first beach bar date....Vida & José have been seeing each other secretly for 6 monthsSetting : approaching the end of the 2017/18 PL CampaignMessing around here, could fall flat on it's face...Thanks!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Paramour](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10527060) by [football83](https://archiveofourown.org/users/football83/pseuds/football83). 



“How’s he been?” Rui whispered as he placed his kit bag on the floor as carefully as he could.

Vida smiled and closed her laptop lid, “Perfect” 

“Come on” he said signalling they leave his 18 month old while he was fast asleep and the apartment was quiet, they walked into the kitchen where Rui offered her a fine glass of Malbec - she accepted.

Vida had babysat for Rui most weeks for the last 12 months, it was something she would always plan around and under no circumstances would work come before the boy, Rui admired her dedication to them both - her breakup with José had been messy beyond belief. At the time when she had vowed to carry on seeing Mario, Rui didn’t quite believe it would happen but the truth was he was glad it had. 

He looked forward to seeing her, he didn’t keep any of that from José - he was more than aware that Vida was a part of Mario’s life. José did ask that morning “Vida at yours?” Rui confirmed “Yeah she is” and José had nodded ominously - nearly letting on that he knew anyway. Rui let it go, as far as he was aware the two exes didn’t even have one another’s phone numbers anymore.

“Thanks” Vida said as she took the glass and sat at the kitchen table, she too enjoyed the weekly catch up with Rui, he was a good friend and had been there throughout the break up with José - somehow managing to juggle keeping both parties happy. His equally disastrous love life always made Vida feel a little less freakish - she still didn’t know where he met those women.

“So listen” Rui had said, pulling a couple of sheets of paper from his laptop bag and sliding them over the table to her “I’d like you to read this” 

Vida raised her eyebrows and retrieved the paper, glass in hand as she sipped the wine, she froze before slowly asking “Rui, what the hell is this?” 

“My resignation” he confirmed before folding his arms.

“What? Why?” she asked, totally puzzled “What’s happened?” 

Rui drank back his wine in almost one go and then leant back in his chair “I need to do my own thing” he explained “Seventeen years as an assistant is more than enough” 

Vida looked back at the paper, it was heartfelt and honest. When she had finished reading, she read it again. 

“Wow. End of an era” she said quietly, “Have you spoken to him about it?” 

Rui smiled thinly, “A little…..I don’t think he’ll be too shocked” 

“Maybe not shocked, but he’ll be devastated for sure” Vida said, not meaning to make him feel bad, “You guys are so close”

“Have you seen him recently?” Rui asked, a long piece of his fringe being timely swept back across his forehead, “He does ask about you every now and then”

“I’ve not seen him in forever” she lied, damn convincingly too “But I know how much he thinks of you, that can’t have changed” 

Rui shrugged, “He’ll get over it, he’s got all these young guys coming in, you know - he has good people around him, fuck I even think he’s seeing someone” he divulged making Vida pause her wine sipping. 

“Really?” 

Rui nodded as he topped their glasses up, “I went over to his last weekend, he shot down the stairs to let me in, it was mid morning y’know, he hadn’t got up yet..” 

Vida snorted “Sounds about right” 

Rui giggled “But there were two glasses in the kitchen, a handbag on the worktop…”

Vida’s mind began to work overtime, she breathed out loudly when she realised she had only brought her laptop bag with her today, “Well good luck to him” 

Rui stared at her, his eyes were always intense but she had tried to act as innocent as possible and prayed he didn’t realise she was lying, luckily he didn’t.

“And you? How about you?” 

“Rui, being José’s ex is the biggest turn off to any prospective mate, trust me” she had said it jokingly but he sensed that deep down it bothered her. 

“No dates?” Rui asked.

Vida shook her head profusely “Not since I was in Barcelona last time visiting Matthew and Pep, god over 6 months ago, and it’s probably best we don’t even go there…” 

“No go on, tell me, it can’t be as bad as my recent attempts - you remember the woman who fell asleep during dinner? Fuck…that was bad” he said comically covering his eyes.

Vida moved in her seat, squirming a little at the thought “Pep fixed me up with Luis…” she told him “We had a great night, I got back to his and we yknow, started to get close but….” she winced, “All I could think of was José” 

Rui rubbed the back of her hand “Oh god, that’s awful Vi, I’m sorry”

She smiled “Oh it’s OK, Luis is a nice guy - there aren’t any hard feelings. He’s got this amazing new girlfriend now apparently so I missed the good ship Enrique..” 

They both laughed at their own situations, “I should go, I have a conference call at 6” she told him as she stood, just as - on cue Mario began to grumble “Ahhh as if by magic!” she joked, “Maria will be here soon” Rui informed her “So this, you think it’s OK?” He asked finally, regarding his letter of resignation. 

“No Rui” Vida said firmly as she pulled her laptop bag across her body “I don’t think you leaving is OK at all, but as resignations go that’s very classy” 

She kissed him on the cheek and left. 

***

“You’re late” José complained when he opened the door to let her in, at just after 6:30pm, she stepped inside “The kid playing up?” he enquired, Vida stood with absolutely perfect posture in his hallway, he was bemused as he locked the door and turned to face her. 

“Problem?” José asked, edging closer towards her.

She unhooked her ankles and spread her legs as he approached, the self assured smirk on his face never failed to get her going, “Hmm…” he groaned when his teeth gnashed at her neck and she raised her right knee, coiling her leg behind his lower back, “Here?” he questioned, his hand seamlessly unfurling his belt and allowing his trousers to pool around his ankles, just the cold silk of his boxers and the thin material of her skirt acting as a barrier between the two of them. 

“Mmm’yeah…” she answered hurriedly, gripping bunches of silver hair as his fingers readied her, “Fuckkkk” she spat when he teased her, god he was hard “Ohvidajesus…” he garbled when he shunted his hips upwards and inadvertently made her head thump against the wall behind her. 

“It’s fine..” she snapped, not at all perturbed.

She clamped her leg to his side forcefully and encouraged him to concentrate, not worry about her sore head, “Harder” she demanded, “OHJOSÉFUCK…..” 

He grinned when she came against him, her legs practically buckling as she relaxed. 

They were sat side by side with their backs to the wall, both regaining composure and breath. 

“We need to stop doing this” Vida told him, so in denial it was excruciating. 

“Yeah” José began, dripping with sarcasm “Because what we just did was completely hideous and not at all satisfying….give me a break Vida” 

She frowned at him, using his powder blue shirt that she had ripped off his back to cover her modesty.

“Once upon a time I was going to be your wife, now I’m sneaking around being your….I don’t even know what” she explained “And you let me, time and time again, you let me…” 

José shook his head “You can walk away any time” 

She pulled his shirt firmly shut across her chest “See, if I meant anything you wouldn’t say that” 

They’d argued rarely since they started this arrangement almost six months ago, Vida couldn’t and didn’t want to label what they were doing, José had pushed for them to go out in public - make it official, each time Vida had changed the subject. He resented the way she spoke to him this time, shooting her mouth off foolishly when all he ever wanted was them both to get back to how things were. 

“Vida, I love you, I always have, even when you fucked off to Barcelona to date idiot hipsters, I still didn’t love you any less” 

He couldn’t help himself. 

“Luis is not an idiot, or a hipster” 

“He’s also not me” he said aloof as hell, “Because if he was you wouldn’t be here now, or the night before last, or every couple of nights for the last six months….and you wouldn’t be staying tonight to do all of that again” he stood up, located his boxers and swaggered down the hallway, “Drink?”


	2. Chapter 2

Six Months Earlier..

“Drinking alone?” were the first two words he’d uttered to her in over a year, when she turned around to face him it was in slow motion. Those beautiful brown eyes widening at the sight of him and her full, plump lips parting with surprise that soon turned in to something else, something he had missed, longed for and needed.

“Seems that way” she had answered with a certain sadness, the bar she had initially chosen for it’s anonymity apparently no longer fit for purpose, “At least no one here knows me, well until now” she added.

José sat next to her on the small outdoor seat, she was right - the place was full of strangers - of course, him being who he was gained him a certain level of notoriety but after the initial nods of recognition and a couple of selfies they were pretty much left alone. One well placed security guy lingered around the area just incase, José slipped him a £50 note on his way back from the bar. 

“It’s good to see you” he said, his elbow resting on the brick wall to the side of them, his body open and turned towards her, he looked smart - in a classic monogrammed dress shirt and trousers. 

“Yeah” she answered shyly, “You too” 

He licked his lips, “Do you want to talk?” 

That caught her full attention and she leant in to his ear, “I’d rather do something else” 

He grinned bashfully at her blatancy “I heard you were seeing someone” he pried, not willing to get involved with her if that was true. 

Vida smiled, “I went on one date José” 

“And?” he asked, that rare vulnerability showing for a split second. 

“And nothing” she shrugged, “Guys run a mile when they find out about you” 

José laughed darkly, it was funny because it was so believable. 

“Don’t you have plans?” she questioned, taking her iPhone from her bag to check the time, just after 10:30pm. 

He held his hands out in front of him confirming “I’m here because I live across the street, not because I’m meeting anyone” 

Vida nodded, “Wow, you live in those apartments?” 

He nodded back, “Let me show you?” he said innocently, genuinely wanting nothing more than to show her around his new apartment. 

The apartment block was once a textiles factory, enormous, industrial and made from traditional red brick, the Manchester skyline was full of buildings like these, the only difference being this one had been converted into the most upmarket penthouse apartments - the lift was like an old fashioned metal shaft and he had to yank across the shutter before it juddered up to the top floor. It was surreal, the two of them stood there at opposite ends of a lift, after once living together, planning a life together, almost getting married. Vida eyed him again, he looked lean, fit, his skin was tanned and healthy - success suited him, but then it always did. José was doing the same, except he couldn’t keep it in, a soft “I missed you” left his lips and she blushed. 

“You prefer this to Salford Docks?” Vida asked after the grand tour, them both sat out on the enormous decked balcony. 

“It’s more central” he told her “But I do miss that apartment, our apartment” 

Amazing how attached one could become to bricks and mortar Vida surmised, “I couldn’t stay there” she stated as though he’d asked her to justify her reason for selling her apartment.

“No, I know” he replied. 

“You haven’t shown me the bedroom” she said bluntly. 

He stood, confidence oozing out of every pore and held his hand out to her, he pulled her to her feet and she landed in close proximity to his chest, “Hmm” she whimpered as she breathed in his unmistakable scent, “So good…” she told him, looking up at his playful eyes, he scraped her hair away from her face and held it back, licking his lips before tilting her head backwards, initiating the most intense, sexually laced kissed on the planet.

Vida melted into him, into the kiss, he’d thought about this so many times - her coming back to him, them picking up where they left off, him apologising for being such an ass to her, he was happy to do this for now though “I’m sorry….” he said into her mouth when he stopped, their hips practically connected, his lips finding her jaw and neck - he’d not forgotten anything, still astute, still tuned in to what she needed and when.

“Bedroom…” she sighed, turning around and pulling him back indoors. 

 

***

“Quit sulking yeah?” He said as she sat uncomfortably on his sofa, her legs at a skewed angle so not to be in contact with him. 

“Fuck you” she answered with so much attitude that he couldn’t mask his deep, throaty laugh. 

“Vida” he said matter-of-factly, as though he was going to reprimand her, “Move in, marry me, let’s do this properly….” 

Vida’s face softened, “I’ll think about it” 

***


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it kept me busy for 3 chapters.... :)

“You’ve not changed” José said, the back of his hand moving slowly and effortlessly down her back and up again. 

Vida looked at him, a blissful expression on her face “Hmm you have” she challenged “No smooth talking whatsoever” 

He laughed deeply and shunted in closer towards her body, propping himself up on his elbow “I never smooth talked you” he protested, voice husky and his lips dropping one long, lingering kiss to her shoulder blade. 

She held her hand to his forehead, asking “You feeling OK?” before giggling, “You were smoother than peanut butter José” 

He sank beneath the ruffled sheets and pulled her body close towards him, kissing her gently and calmly not wishing to demand more from her than intended, she reacted perfectly - a mixture of shyness and intuition, god he’d missed that. Her, he’d missed her. 

“So come on” she began, after clearing her throat “How many girls have been in my place over the last year?” 

José almost choked on the water he was sipping from the glass next to his bed, “Jesus…” he said under his breath, “I’m not answering that” he told her firmly, “It’s unimportant” 

Vida sat up and ran her hands through her hair, he’d gripped and grabbed it to within an inch of it’s life and when he realised she was detangling he sat up and assisted her “I’m sorry bonita…” he said quietly as he concentrated on one particularly knotted section of hair.

“For my hair or what you did before we broke up?” she asked, eyes wide and inquisitive. 

José smiled, his dimples popping either side of his mouth “Vida….” he said with a wince, “Do you want to rake up old ground, really?” 

She shrugged and pulled her knees up to her chest, “We’ve lived in the same city since we broke up, I’ve spent time at Rui’s with Mario, I find it amazing that you’ve avoided me for this long, I really do” 

He shook his head, “I haven’t avoided anybody….I respected your wishes, you wanted me out of your life” he paused, “So I did what you asked” 

Vida batted his hands away from her hair now, “I knew you lived here, I knew you drank over there, I wanted to see you tonight…” she had begun speaking with such bravado and it gradually faded. 

José’s eyebrows raised “For?….” 

She laughed “To see if I still felt the way I thought I felt about you” 

“And do you?” 

“I’m not sure” 

***

Present Day…..

 

“I can’t be here” Vida said, he gripped her hand as she went to leave.

“Don’t go” he pleaded, “I’m sorry….Whatever you want, I’ll do it….name it” 

She span around and looked at him, his silver hair an unruly mess “Move on” 

He didn’t stop her from leaving, as much as it had messed with his head he knew following her wouldn’t solve anything - not tonight. Six months of secret nights together, weekends away, meeting at absolutely every opportunity regardless of whether it was for four minutes or four hours - it was exciting, but tiring. He suspected Rui knew something about it, he hated lying to him - his best friend in the world, hated lying to his kids about if he was seeing anyone, his ex-wife even who had encouraged him to start dating again, congratulating him for his conduct following the break-up with Vida. He stared down at the street and watched her quickly walk away, heading back into the city centre, he smacked his hand against the wooden decking and looked up at the sky. 

“VIDA!” Yelled a familiar voice from behind her, she jolted a little but soon smiled when she saw Matthew stood there, beckoning her over.

“Hey” she grinned, hugging him tightly, it had been so long since they’d seen one another with Matthew living between Manchester and Barcelona these days, “Hey yourself” he said, beaming back, hoping to surprise her later on by showing up at her apartment unannounced. 

“You good?” he asked, kissing her cheek. 

She had tried so hard not to become emotional but her eyes were filling up, he bent down to look at her, his hands touching her cheeks comfortingly “José?” he asked with a whisper, she nodded and he pulled her in to his chest, “You’ve finished it?” he asked, she nodded against his body, “It’s for the best….” she said, “It wasn’t going anywhere” 

Vida pulled herself away and composed herself, “Pep with you?” she asked, pointing in the direction of one of the trendy cocktail bars, Matthew smiled “And Luis…” 

“Luis?” she questioned “Really?” 

“Join us” Matthew said, rubbing her back, “Be fun” 

Vida grimaced, “And be the odd one out? No thanks” 

“Oh, no Luis is here alone” Matthew advised her, “He ended it with that girl anyway”

She swallowed, “Come on darling” he said, looking up at the sky as an enormous cloud floated across the sky, “Fucking England!” he shouted pulling her indoors seconds before a violent deluge. 

Matthew guided her across the small room to where Pep and Luis sat, speaking ten to the dozen in Spanish, Pep greeting her with a welcomed hug and kiss and Luis, looking handsome beyond belief cooly telling her how good it was to see her again. They drank and talked and the entire time Vida thought about José, about the six months she’d wasted, giving in to his demands, turning up at his place when he asked, basically being ready at 5 minutes notice and not holding him accountable for anything. She felt queasy and excused herself to go outside and get some air, she grabbed a bottle of water and stood against the red brick wall near the smoking area. 

“Are you alright?” Luis asked as he emerged out of the darkness, his slim frame now stood square in front of her. 

Vida smiled “I’m fine, thanks, you go back inside I won’t be long” 

Luis kicked the ground, his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets, “I know it was months ago now but I did enjoy our date….” 

Vida cringed at his pity, “Please……Luis, you really don’t have to say that” 

Luis rubbed his prominent jaw, “I know, but it’s true…..Elise, the girl I was seeing….I broke it off” 

Vida took a deep breath, “I’m sorry about that” her warm breath made shapes in the cool evening air, and he took a step closer “Don’t be” he said quietly, “Look I know…..” he paused, and grinned, “I don’t know anything actually, so I’ll just leave you to it….” 

Shit, he’d bottled it. He was kicking himself as he strolled off, “Luis wait” she called, “Say what you were going to say” 

He turned back around and scratched the back of his head, “José…. I know, it’s a hard act to follow…. but…” he bit his bottom lip hard, desperate not to sound tragic as he opened his arms in a ‘nothing to lose’ motion, “I’m an ambitious guy”


End file.
